The Lone Survivor
by Izushi Yamada
Summary: Yuffie and cloud are about to find out about what happened to someone from their past. Maybe this is Yuffie's chance to be with the one person she would rather die than still be without. post advent children/ dirge of cerburess, whichever came last
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy. It is the exclusive property of Square Enix. None of these characters are my property. I also do not claim to own any of this.**

**The lone survivor chapter 1:**

**Revelations**

Cloud was focused on his surroundings. His opponent was hidden behind the cover of the trees. There was no way to tell where they would come from.

'You've gotten better' Cloud thought.

It was true. His opponent was truly giving him a run for his money. That much was certain. He had never really been this impressed by someone's progress in battle before. His opponent had shown tremendous improvement since the last time they had seen each other.

He was caught up in these thoughts when his opponent made their move. They jumped out, hurling their weapon at him with all the strength they had left in their entire body; this weapon hurled at him so fast that Cloud barely was able to avoid it and was unsuccessful in dodging a kick that connected squarely with the back of his head. However, due to his numerous battles with monsters, humans, super humans, Jenova spawn, Jenova herself, would-be Cetra and the like (possibly ranging in the billions), he was unaffected.

His opponent fell to the ground clumsily, disappointed by the outcome of her attack.

"Gawd Cloud, why ya gotta be so strong? Not even I, the greatest warrior in Wutai, can defeat you!"

-Laughs- "you know why."

"Oh yeah. We should head back. It's getting late."

For the first time, Cloud realized how late it was. He wondered how long past the time he said that they would be back it was.

Getting back to camp, Tifa spoke to Yuffie, "And what, may I ask, was so interesting about battle training that it took three hours longer than expected?"

"Sorry Teef, we got caught up in it and lost track of time." The small teenage ninja sounded to Tifa as if she was afraid she was mad at her.

"It's okay Yuf, I'm not mad."

Yuffie was a little uneasy lately. Tifa had noticed this. For some reason, Tifa had learned on their first journey, Yuffie had a sixth sense of being uneasy around times that something big would happen. She had informed Cloud of this, and he had made the necessary preparation for an attack. He had been admirably compassionate with Yuffie, empathizing with the young Wutain Princess since she had joined their cause back at Meteor Fall. He tried to help her in battle and any other way he could since then, stating that she reminded him of himself when he was a Shin-Ra grunt, (or when he was in soldier when he thought that was what he was). He remained on guard because of advisement from Tifa.

It had been two years since the Advent Children incident, four years since Meteor Fall. Shin-Ra Company had risen to power once again with Reno and Rude at its head, Rufus leading them. Hojo's right hand man at the head of the research department, Reno and Rude had been infused with the Jenova cells pumped from the bodies of the creatures previously incubated in the Mount Nibel reactor. Needless to say they had definitely learned some new tricks. That was the reason cloud and his friends were once again journeying to stop the Shin-Ra Company from destroying the world. That was why they were without the aid of the Highwind. Yeah, Cid wasn't too happy about that last part.

It was blown up in a battle with a few Sephiroth copies and Reno. Yes, Sephiroth copies. Angeal had been found as a dead corpse near Midgar about a month ago, in a grave marked: "my mentor and closest friend, may he rest in peace," and was now being used to make copies of Sephiroth for Shin-Ra to use to their liking. The copies and Reno had destroyed the Highwind and everyone in it mercilessly. That was what had sent Cid into the hysterical rage that he was currently in.

Ignoring Cid's cursing and killing of plant life (and possibly Barret, Red, and Cait Sith); Tifa, Cloud, Vincent, and Yuffie discussed what they were to do next.

"We are very short on supplies and funds. We should make for Condor," motioned Vincent.

"That is a very smart plan. It's not very far away based on the landscape," Tifa added. Yuffie notice the best out of all of them where they were. This clearing that they had made camp was where she had first joined up with the group. She was proud of joining them. It had turned out to be the greatest decision of her life.

"Yeah, I think we should go for Condor too!" Yuffie was excited at the memory. She wanted to revisit the first place she had ever been with the group.

"I like it. We'll break camp and head there tomorrow morning." Cloud went on to plot a course from where they were, aided by Tifa. Yuffie had noticed that Cloud had been actually paying attention to her, much to Tifa's liking.

Vincent and Yuffie were off, much like they always were, discussing Yuffie's life and problems and things like that. Vincent never really elaborated on his own thought and feelings. Despite that, though, they had always been good friends, even if Yuffie wierded him out a little.

"I don't know what to do Vinny!"

"Well first off I don't think your taking this the right way. You may be on edge because of a bad dream or something along those lines," the mystical gunner of chaos replied.

Vincent and Yuffie went on until Yuffie took note of a strange light coming from a nearby cliff. It seemed as though it was coming from the energy that she had only seen the likes of once before. During the Wutai war when she came into contact with the man named…

'Uh oh, what was his name again,' she thought to herself. She did remember, however, a mystical aura about him. He kidnapped her when she was a little kid, and stolen her best friend for Shin-Ra research and experimentation. Come to think of it, she couldn't quite recall how long it had been she had seen her best friend. When she was a child, they had been very close. When he was taken away, she had been crushed. The man that had taken him said that they would soon be brothers or something like that. He had a red cloak. Come to think of it, everything about him was red. Right down to his weapon. The only thing about him that wasn't red was his wing….

'Maybe it was just in my head' she thought until that light started rushing toward them. It seemed to be headed straight for Cloud. It was in the shape of a blade. Just then, Yuffie realized that it must have been an attack from someone. Tifa absent-mindedly stepped in front of the attack, not noticing it was there.

"Tifa watch out!" Yuffie yelled, allowing time for Tifa to dodge. All of a sudden a man appeared from the brush with a weapon that resembled that of the man who kidnapped her friend from all those years ago. She remembered her friend's name had been Kirijo. She remembered that he had been training to be a warrior of the Wutain army.

After a small moment of recollection, she realized the weight of the situation. Cloud and the attacker were engaged in battle. He attacked Cloud who avoided and grabbed his own blade. Yuffie seemed to recognize the attack patterns. She realized she could predict his movements. Cloud attacked only to realize that his attacker looked almost exactly like someone from his past, though he could not place it. The attacker stopped and ran his hand across his blade, making it glow with energy. Just then it hit him. This man looked exactly like….

**Mwahahahahahahah! Cliffhangers! Who does he look like? Why does Yuffie think that his battle style is so familiar? Find out in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Guess whose back (back back), back again (gain, gain). Izu's back (back back) tell a friend. No but seriously here's chapter 2 hope you like it and sorry for the wait. =3**_

_**Oh yeah, and I don't own final fantasy 7 or anything related to it.**_

_**Lastly this chapter has a crappy name I know. Please don't say anything about it. Please rate and review. **_

**Chapter 2**

**Who….**

"Genesis…" Cloud said as he was pinned to the ground. He was much stronger than the attacker, of that he was certain; however, he was too distracted to fight right now.

The coloring was off. His outfit was green, along with his hair and blade, while Genesis had been red. Still, there was no way that two people could look that similar, and no copy he had ever fought had been this strong.

"Close. You can call me, the man who is going to kill you, Kirijo."

With that last word a chill ran up Yuffie's spine.

"Wait a minute. What did you say?

"I don't think that I stuttered. My name is Kiri…" he turned around, remembering the sound of that voice. He heard it and was stunned. There was no way. "Yuffie! No it can't be."

"No. It's not you. You were taken by Shin-Ra. You're dead."

Cloud took this as an opportunity to get up. He grabbed Fenrir and lunged. He pushed Kirijo off of him, causing the Genesis lookalike to stumble and fall. He picked himself up only to be pinned by Yuffie, Tifa ready to help if she needed to.

"You are NOT him. He was killed. He's dead. You Shin-Ra A** hole! You're just another copy that Shin-Ra made to mess with my head." By now she was in uncontrollable tears. "I'll kill you, you SON OF A-"

"Yuffie please wait. I can prove it."

"You're a LIAR!" She raised her ninja star to drive it through his chest when he blurted out "When you were a kid your older brother left you to join the Turks. You were devastated. That night you went to the top of mount Wutai and you stayed there until I got there. When I did you laid your head on my shoulder and cried yourself to sleep. The next morning you woke up and I was still awake. Except that I had something in my hand. The ninja star you have in your hand. The ninja star that you have been using since that day. No one else could possibly know that."

At the end of his explanation, Yuffie collapsed on his chest, crying.

"That day, I said that in giving you that, I would always find a way back to you. It was what cemented our friendship for eternity."

Everyone stood in awe of what they saw. Somehow these two knew each other. But how? That was the silent question until Cid Yelled out, "what the F**** is goin' on? Yuffie, how do you know this piece o' s****? "

"And since you do, why does he look like Genesis," Cloud added.

"I was her best friend from when she was a kid. We were-"he stopped talking when he felt a fist connect with his jaw. He then felt another connect with his gut, knocking him out of breath.

"You little… How could you…. Why….!" Yuffie couldn't stop herself from hitting him. Rage and questions fueled her. She knew without a doubt that this was her friend. No one knew that. No one could.

She stopped hitting him only when Tifa pulled her off. He was bleeding, an open wound across his face, and he appeared to be unconscious. He probably could have stopped her. But he didn't want to. Yuffie was sure that he had let her do it. Let her beat him half to death. It had always been his way of thinking. If he had to hurt so that she didn't have to, then so be it.

Yuffie walked slowly over to Cloud, who was still stunned.

"Pick him up, heal him, and call me. If there are any problems, I want to know. OK?"

"Yeah, of course I will."

"Thanks."

With that, she walked away, straight into the woods. Straight towards Condor. Vincent swiftly followed, knowing that she would need someone to talk to, and also because he was curious to know who this man was.


End file.
